Beyond the Name
by punnylove
Summary: Mother, sister, daughter, lover, friend—a sentence piece exploring who exactly Alianne of Pirates Swoop is.
1. Family

_Summary: Mother, sister, daughter, lover, friend—a sentence piece exploring who exactly Alianne of Pirates Swoop is._

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><p><strong>1. Father<strong>

It didn't matter that she'd been chosen by Kyprioth to (forgive a parent's pride) single-handedly overthrow the corrupt government of the Copper Isles. It didn't matter that she'd effectively joined the ranks of legends with her parents. It didn't even matter that she was a grown woman who knew her own heart—George Cooper was still not ready to accept the fact that he was about to give his little girl to a _crow_.

**2. Mother**

They'd never had the smoothest of relationships, but as Alanna listened to her daughter talk about her work with a glow in her face that she'd often felt on her own, she'd never felt prouder of being Aly's mother.

**3. Brother**

No matter how much she grew, no matter how many boys she'd kissed, no matter how many wonders she'd done—she was still his baby sister and it was his job to look out for her. If this meant inventing a new spell that would allow them to communicate across the ocean, then so be it. Thom's always loved a challenge anyway.

**4. Twin**

When she first disappeared, Alan was terrified. After the first week of _feeling_ for her, he realized she was unhurt and alive. Then, all he felt was fury. If Aly had to go and get herself kidnapped, didn't she have the sense by now to get him kidnapped alongside her?

**5. Godfather**

He'd thought he'd feel distant with her. After all, she was Alanna's child with all of George's charm and wittiness—the quintessence of what he could have and never would have. Then, she climbed into his lap with a boldness that was all Alanna and a smile that was all her own and he realized that he played the role of the indulgent godfather quite well.

**6. Godmother**

She knew she spoiled Aly, but the little girl was the only child who saw Kally behind Princess Kalasin, and the way her goddaughter made her birth-daughter laugh made it impossible for Thayet to refuse her anything. It didn't help that the little girl was so _charming_.

**7. Uncle (Gary)**

Was it an exaggeration to say that she got her brains from him? Yes, most definitely. Was he going to say it anyway? Watching as the little girl rattled on about the way the weather would affect imperial relations with Tusaine, (a subject he'd lectured about to her wide-eyed rapturous attention), to the clerk who _still _didn't understand the difference between short-termed and long-termed trade, Gary had to admit the answer was probably another yes.

**8. Uncle (Raoul)**

Like with Alanna, he never had to worry about her in a fight—her way with knives reminded him of days being dumped on his back by George—however, _un_like with Alanna, he had to deal with broken-hearted trainees who wouldn't stop moaning the—ahem_—charms_, of his honorary niece. The last thing he wanted was George Cooper getting protective and reverting to his practice of taking ears.

**9. Aunt (Buri)**

When people remember Aly in Corus, they remember a social butterfly and witty flirt. They didn't realize she had an honorary aunt who wouldn't hesitate to dump her on her backside during their daily training exercises if the girl didn't stay in shape.

**10. Aunt (Daine)**

Aly may have gotten the crow's help because of Kyprioth, but she won their friendships all on her own. Remembering all the fireside chats about animal etiquette she'd had with the always curious Aly, Daine had to smile with pride.

**11. Uncle (Numair)**

As far as the Gift went, hers was unique—George's Sight with Alanna's power was a heady mix—but no where near his level. Still, as he taught the blossoming girl how to protect her mind, he had to admire the persistence she put into developing her mental "castle." Few people would have had the raw stubbornness it took to utilize their inner fires into something actually useful.

**12. Cousin (Kalasin)**

She'd grown up knowing she had to be a princess before she was Kally—and that was why Aly was so important to her. When she realized that she could never be a knight, it was Aly who held her tight and promised that they'd run away and join the Shang if Kally really wanted to. She didn't, but the fact that Aly offered was enough to prompt a giggle from her lips and for her tears to dry. She'd heard her father telling Thayet that he needed Alanna around to make him laugh, and now, as she watched her best friend and cousin sleep, Princess Kalasin thought she knew what he meant.

**13. Cousin (Roald)**

He'll never tell anyone, but she was his first kiss. They were both just children and she'd just caught her parents in a private moment, and naturally wanted to try it out herself. Poor Roald didn't know what hit him until it was too late—and a grinning Aly was scampering away to "practice" on someone else.

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><p><em>Review! Suggestions and constructive criticism welcome.<em>


	2. Teachers

_Tamora Pierce never goes into it, but considering her position—and being who she is—Aly must have had some pretty amazing teachers. Here's a look at what some of them say about her._

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><p><strong>1. Coach<strong>

"Down, up!" Eda Bell yowled, sounding very much at the moment, like her namesake. The Shang Wildcat glared at the fourteen year-old girl in front of her and barked, "You wanted to learn Shang, well, our trainees can do this by their first month! Down, up, and don't give me that cheeky grin of yours!" Watching as Aly—who'd grown too tired and sore to make smart remarks hours ago—gritted her teeth and went through the formation again, Eda Bell had to admit that the child was holding up better than she'd imagined.

**2. Whisper Man**

The first thing Aly learned from her father was that, on the field, he was the Whisper Man—the behind-the-scenes spymaster whose word was law. She soon learned that to treat him with anything less than a deferential, professional attitude during their lessons would result in swift dismissal. There was no room for slip-ups in the world of espionage, and George Cooper could not risk his enemies finding out about his family or disorder in his ranks because his daughter was given special treatment.

**3. Mage Master**

Unlike the other forms of the Gift, Sight was highly personal and varied from person to person. However, though no one could quite teach her the details of her magical ability, the fact that Eleni Cooper had watched her son struggle and adapt to his Sight gave her the insight to help her granddaughter do the same. By the time Aly was eight, she'd learned the tricks of "turning on," (and, more importantly), turning _off_ her Sight, and had dubbed Granny Eleni as her "Mage Master."

**4. Disguise**

George was good, but no one was better at the art of disguise than Rispah. Still, he thought, unamused, he hadn't expected his cousin to teach thirteen year old Aly _everything_about pretending to be a flower girl. Or beggar. Or dock market trollop.

**5. Health Teacher**

Watching as first Thom, then Alan came out of the infirmary with beet-red faces, both unable to look her in the eye, Aly had to shiver when Maud's voice called her in to "explain the birds and the bees."

**6. Teacher of the Womanly Arts**

Strangely enough, Alanna was the one who taught Aly to cook, clean, and sew. However, it was Aunt Cythera who taught her the _satisfaction_ of doing these tasks well, as well as the little bits and pieces that could turn a piece of handiwork into an art, a plate of food into a dish, and a plate into a mirror.

**7.** **Carthaki****Teacher**

Lindhall Reed wasn't exactly a normal teacher, but then again, compared to her other teachers, he was by far the most orthodox. Aly loved sneaking into his classes and listening to him lecture about the culture and history of the world, and the great beasts that used to roam it.

**8. Safehouse**

When she first asked Numair to teach her how to block truth-spells, the black mage thought she was trying to escape punishment from her parents and laughingly refused. When the nine-year old Aly very seriously explained to him her choice in profession and why exactly it was essential for a spy to be able to resist truth-spells, he sobered up.

**9. Animal Behavior**

Aly wasn't in love with animals the same way her mother loved her horses or Alan loved his dogs, but she was fascinated when Daine commented on how a normal person could "hear" the animal language just by observing their body languages. By the second day, Daine had found herself an avid pupil.

**10. Femininity**

When she turned twelve, Aly went through a tomboyish phase that had her refusing to wear dresses and swearing off all girly things. That summer, George, who was worried that his little girl was turning into a little boy, sent her to the castle to "visit her cousins." A word to Thayet, and the Queen laughingly accepted the challenge of teaching the stubborn girl how femininity and strength often went hand-in-hand.

**11. Morality**

Watching Kally accept her duty as a princess of the realm was the greatest example Aly ever had of responsibility. Roald taking the burden of being Crown Prince as soon as he was old enough to understands the words was a close second. Alan taught her that following his dreams came above everything else—even if people talked about how the Lioness' son entered page training two years late, and Thom taught her that magic was useful but dangerous. Her mother taught her the price being god-touched demands, and her father taught her to smile even when the world is collapsing.

All in all, Aly thinks she's got a great education.


End file.
